Old Tricks
by youareafigment
Summary: Sandra and the Lanes have joined Gerry in America to solve another case. Sandra is sensitive after Max's mysterious death but the new American case keeps her distracted. Can the team live up to their old tricks or is the American case too much for even them?
1. America

The aeroplane landed at 10.49 in JFK New York airport but it took another 20 minutes until Sandra had collected her luggage and was in the place they had agreed to meet. She looked around at the vast array of restaurants and shops and then looked at her watch. 11.20. Where was he? She wasn't that surprised, he was always late for everything. Finally a familiar figure was wandering towards her with a faint glow at his mouth.  
"Gerry!" Sandra called, then realised that he did not go by this name anymore. He made his way through the thick, noisy crowd towards her and gave her a hug. Sandra wasn't the 'huggy' sort but hugged him back anyway, she hadn't seen him for years and he looked older than when she left but with a zest for his new American life.  
"Good journey?" Gerard Lestade (Gerry's new _and old_ name) asked.  
"Would have been without the screaming baby in the next row" Sandra sighed. Gerry just laughed.  
"When are the others coming?" Gerry asked Sandra. This meeting had been planned for months but with Gerry supposedly dead Sandra was the only one he made contact with.  
"Their plane gets in at 8.00 tomorrow morning." Sandra clarified.

After a night at Gerry's new flat Sandra felt relaxed and excited for the future. She woke Gerry up at 6.00 so they would be at the airport ready to meet Mr and Mrs Lane when they arrived. It didn't take long once they were at the airport to find them, they heard a woman's despairing voice say "Leave it Brian you can sort it out later!" and sure enough Esther and Brian were sitting on seats just along from the entrance.  
"Brian, Brian! They are here!" Ester exclaimed and jumped up to give Sandra and Gerry a kiss.  
"Lovely to see you both again!" Sandra said warmly and they all headed out to pile into Gerry's Mustang, catching up on all they had been up to since they were last together.

The Mustang pulled into a reserved parking space outside a beautiful terraced house that had been converted into apartments. Gerry led the way up to the first floor and into a large airy kitchen and dining space.  
"Oh this is lovely" Esther remarked and Gerry took them into the second largest of the three bedrooms. Sandra went into the smallest room she had stayed in last night to organise her things that she hadn't had the chance to and Gerry put on the kettle.  
About 10 minates later the four of them were gathered around the solid wood table discussing the situation they were in.  
"I know you're all wondering about Max" Sandra started but was interrupted by Esther.  
"Don't if it upsets you Sandra, we know what happened."  
"No, no you should hear it from me too, things weren't great anyway between us but I thought it would work out. I had no idea he was involved in such serious things and well, now I wish I'd made more of an effort. It's just I'm no good with men -" Gerry sniggered then stopped himself after a scathing look from Esther. "and I thought there might have been a chance there. The funeral was lovely though, just what he would have wanted." Sandra finished.  
None of them really knew how Max had died or why, except for Brian (he had explained it to Esther in a rush and she pretended to understand but all she understood was that he was Sandra's French boyfriend who had died in difficult circumstances).  
"Oh Sandra, I'm so sorry" Esther quietly said.  
"Yeah, well it's over so I'd rather focus on the future now." Sandra replied.  
"Speaking of which" Brian started. "Are we going to solve this case?"


	2. The Case

"So I'll tell you what I know so far." Gerry said to answer Brian's question. "I met a lady called Michelle about, 1 month ago. Anyway she seems like a really lovely woman and we were chatting about the kids and stuff and she had a daughter called Ella, well Gabriella, who died." The three others around the table made different noises such as a swallow from Brian and a small gasp from Esther. "It was thought to be suicide and there was a note found with the body but Michelle thinks, and has good reason to think, that Ella's boyfriend killed her."  
Sandra looked at Gerry before saying "But if there was a note and the enquiry thought it was suicide there's no case? Mothers of deceased children often struggle to come to terms with it. What evidence does this woman have, and when did all this happen?"  
"Well Ella's boyfriend, Dominic Coleman, was a bit of a one. He was in gangs and thought that beating up people was a fun thing to do. He wasn't a nice lad by the sounds of it. Ella wanted to leave him but was too scared. She had an affair and thought that he didn't know about it but Michelle thinks he found out and" Gerry made a gesture at his neck and made a choking noise.  
"OK so there might be nothing to this but as we are here we might as well investigate. We will start with this Michelle, the mum. Gerry can you set up a meeting place with her today?" Sandra asked him.  
"Yeah, shouldn't be a problem."  
Brian, Esther and Sandra looked at each other smirking. Gerry was always up for meeting ladies and it was so typical of him.


	3. Michelle Bell

Sandra and Esther walked over to a table by the window in the cafe that Gerry had told Michelle to go to. After about 5 minutes a tall, slim woman with thick brunette hair down to her waist walked over she looked like she was in her early 40's. Sandra and Esther stood up.  
"Michelle Bell?" Sandra enquired.  
"Yes, yes are you Gerard's colleagues?" Sandra and Esther looked at each other at the mention of 'Gerard' as a sign of acknowledgement that they mustn't call him 'Gerry' to anyone else.  
"That's right" Sandra answered and indicated for Michelle to take a seat in the chair opposite.  
"So shall we start at the beginning?" Esther said once Michelle had taken off her expensive looking trench coat and sat looking at the drinks menu.  
"Right, OK," Michelle started. "Well it was 10 years ago when Ella died. It was the 30th August 2005 and the police think she died at 2.30 in the afternoon. She had been shopping with two friends that morning and had invited them back at 12 but they only stayed for about an hour. She lived on her own so no one, except whoever did this to her, was there at the time she died. I know she was in an unhappy relationship but she was happy during the two months before her death. She met a lovely lad called Gregory who had a good job and wanted the best for her. It was wrong of her to have an affair, I know, but I don't blame her. Dom is a nasty piece of scum and deserved what she did, although she claims he never knew. Look where that got her."  
"I'm sorry" Esther said.  
"I know this isn't easy for you" Sandra comforted "but how did Ella actually die?"  
"Oh!" Michelle exclaimed. "How silly of me to leave out the main thing. What am I like!?" Sandra and Esther smiled at her encouragingly."She drowned in the bath, face down." Michelle swallowed deeply and then said "I fou- I found her.

After a waitress had taken orders of 2 latte's and a cappuccino Sandra was keen for Michelle to carry on talking.  
"So where were you when the death occurred? At 2.30." She asked.  
"At home." She said bluntly.  
"Alone?" Esther carried on the questioning.  
"Yeah, I'm divorced, Ewan, Ella's father, and I split when she was 2 and haven't had much contact since. I was supposed to be Meeting Ella at hers before going out for a meal, only when I got there.." she tailed off.  
"What time did you get there?" Sandra asked  
"4.00. Maybe a few minutes before."  
"And that's the time you found.." Esther began to ask.  
"Found her, yeah." Michelle clarified.

"Cappuccino?" The smiling young waitress came with their drinks.  
"Yeah thanks" Michelle said taking the frothy mug. The waitress laid down Sandra and Esther's lattes and left.  
"Can you tell me about Dominic Coleman?" Sandra said to Michelle who was staring into mug, slowly stirring her drink.  
"Oh yeah. Dom, well he was no good. I don't blame him for how he was, he had a hard upbringing you know? At first I thought Ella might turn him around but after a year I knew that wouldn't happen. He was violent, never with Ella but with his friends and anyone who got in his way. He boasted about how much damage he had done and how all these people deserved it. Ella was scared if she left him he would hurt her. And he did."  
"Why do you think that the he knew about Ella seeing Gregory?" Sandra asked.  
"Why else would she be dead? It's an obvious motive, especially when you know what Dom's like. Maybe he saw them or maybe one of her friends told him? I don't know but I'm sure he killed her."  
"What are the names of the two friends Ella went shopping with?" Esther suddenly remembered.  
"Maria Phillips and Lydia Smith."  
"Have you got phone numbers and addresses for them?" Sandra wanted to know.  
"No idea, haven't seen them for years." Michelle Bell replied.  
"OK well thanks for your help, we will be in touch if we need to talk to you again." Sandra said getting up.  
"It was Dom." Michelle said looking into Sandra's eyes. "Oh give my love to Gerard!" Sandra half laughed and said she would. Esther and Sandra headed back to Gerry's apartment to discuss the meeting with him and Brian.


End file.
